Let’s get ready to ride together!

IF YOU have participated before, you are probably as excited as the Lifestyle team about the upcoming Black Unity Bike Ride (BUBR) 2024, scheduled for August 3rd.

The annual ride, called London’s Carnival on Bikes, is led by an alliance of more than 17 black-led cycling collectives based in London and welcomes novice and experienced cyclists to join the peloton.

Next month’s ride will start at Leyton Sports Ground in east London and have pit stops at Hackney Downs Park and Somerset House before crossing the Thames and finishing in Dulwich Park.

Founded by Londoner Tokunbo Ajasa-Oluwa, BUBR continues to champion positive change and unity within the black community. Aside from the main event, Ajasa-Oluwa is a passionate promoter of supporting cycling enthusiasts who are not as fortunate as many of us.

Last year, as part of an effort to enable young Ghanaian women to take up cycling, the first BUBR Africa Tour took place, where a group of British female cyclists joined the Accra-based Gladiator Cycling Club, as well as cyclists from the US and the Middle East, to cycle 500 km (310 miles) between the Cape Coast and the Asuogyaman District of the Eastern Region of Ghana.

The ride raised over £10,000 for the Vida Cycling Programme (VCP), an NGO founded by Vida Juliet Vivie which provides access to cycling competitions, repair and maintenance development programmes, grass track cycling events and free cycling equipment for young girls.

Fast forward a year (as Lifestyle readers will already know), BUBR has chosen Rwanda-based NGO Twin Lakes Cycling Academy (TLCA) as this year’s cause. On May 3, around 23 cyclists from the UK, Netherlands, Ghana and the Middle East descended on Rwanda to take part in the tour, which was run in partnership with Ruhengeri-based Africa Rising Cycling Centre.

The cycling team rode either by road race or mountain bike to various destinations in each of the country’s four provinces, depending on the stage’s altitude. Their first destination was Bugesera District, where they completed a route of over 80 km (48 miles) from Kigali to Nyamata and back.

They took the opportunity to commemorate the victims of the genocide against the Tutsi, who were buried at the Nyamata Genocide Memorial.

They then travelled to Rukomo (Gicumbi), Rwamagana, Muhanga and Rubavu, where they explored the shores of Lake Kivu, among other places, before ending their visit in Musanze, where the Africa Rising Cycling Centre (ARRC) is currently located.

During their last tour, the cyclists toured Kinigi on mountain bikes and then met the children of the Twin Lakes Cycling Academy, which is made up of former street children living in the Burera and Ruhondo lakes neighbourhoods. At the time, BUBR presented the children with a cheque for £10,000 and cycling equipment to help them in their daily lives.

“We are grateful for this support which will hopefully help us improve the lives of our children. With this support, we will improve the children’s education by giving them enough materials and better coaching support to ensure that the children learn well because they can try other careers besides cycling,” said Florent Nsengumuremyi, a former street child and founder of the Twin Lakes Cycling Academy. Nsengumuremyi founded the Twin Lakes Cycling Academy with the aim of getting street children back to school and giving them hope for a better future.

“As a former street child, I founded this academy because I simply wanted to give something back to the community,” he said.

“A bicycle changed my life. I dropped out of school because I lived too far from school and when I was asked what I needed to get back to school, I asked for a bicycle that would serve as my means of transport. “My life changed later and I want to do the same for former street children,” he added.

The Black Unity Bike Ride is a UK registered charity (1208033) that began as a community initiative in 2020 at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The organization’s goal is to encourage more black people to enjoy cycling and prioritize their health and well-being.

Ajasa-Oluwa says: “We are very proud to have brought the Black Unity Bike Ride community to Rwanda and to support the Twin Lakes Cycling Academy.

“We have seen TLCA’s work first hand and are very impressed with what they can achieve with such limited resources.”

In the UK, the results of a survey for the 2023 BUBR main event found that up to 200 people were inspired to start a new cycling club or team as a result of their participation.

Last year’s event welcomed nearly 1,000 participants. The aim of the movement is to encourage even more black people to get out and about on two wheels.

The post-event participant survey found that 68 percent felt inspired to cycle more often, 69 percent were encouraged to think about their health and wellbeing and, amazingly, half of all participants were inspired to join a cycling club by BUBR, while a quarter of participants were inspired to start a new cycling group or club.

In short, now in its fifth year, it is fair to say that BUBR is a great success.

According to research by Sport England, 75 percent of people from ethnic backgrounds never cycle and only 57 percent of black people are considered active – an even lower figure than the majority of other ethnic groups.

BUBR is aimed at an inclusive black community across London, where many are new to cycling – only 22 percent of the BUBR community describe themselves as advanced cyclists. Ajasa-Oluwa says: “We are delighted to be able to run the fifth edition of this holistic event.”

“It is a unique and organic community event that celebrates cycling, inclusion and black culture. “BUBR is for the black community and welcomes anyone who celebrates black culture and is interested in diversifying cycling. This year we are praying for good weather and expect 2,000 participants in the ride, now called Carnival on Bikes.”

Hamid Vaghefian, Head of Community Engagement at London Marathon Events, said: “Cycling is an invigorating and inspiring activity that offers everyone the chance to do something good for their physical and mental health and wellbeing.

“The Black Unity Bike Ride is one of the best examples of bringing people together to show that cycling is for everyone, and the results of the post-event survey in 2023 show that it works and supports positive behavior change.

“They are breaking down barriers and promoting unity in the world of cycling. I’m delighted to see the event continue to grow. Following the success of Ford RideLondon, it’s great to see bikes once again transforming the streets of London and painting a truly diverse and inclusive picture of this great city.”

See you on this year’s trip.

For more information and to register for the (FREE) Black Unity Bike Ride 2024, visit the website: www.blackunitybikeride.com